


Caviar and Spiders

by writingandchocolatemilk



Series: DenNor Oneshots [4]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 21:59:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8595424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingandchocolatemilk/pseuds/writingandchocolatemilk
Summary: Abel nodded. "I'm going to win us some money tonight. I know I can. I'm feeling lucky." He got down on his knees, took Lukas' hand, squeezed it. "Don't worry."
Lukas didn't squeeze back. "I'm going to see Berwald."
Abel's smile fell off his face. He scooted closer. "You don't have to do that. I'm going to get us some money."





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Abel is Denmark.**

Lukas snapped on his hat. No matter what he did, it did not stop smelling like grease. He reeked of French fries. There was salt underneath his fingernails.

"Where are those large fries, Luke?"

"Where's that dick up your ass, Gilbert?" Lukas said back.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and down his back. His fingers burned.

 

* * *

 

"Welcome home!" Abel called. "There he is, my proud Mickie D's worker! How was work today? How are your fingers?"

Lukas was already stripping as he headed to the shower. All he could smell was grease. He could taste in on his lips.

"Baby?"

Lukas kicked open the bathroom door, slammed it shut. He ripped off his work uniform, threw it on the ground, tore off his undershirt, his belt wouldn't come out of his pants, his finger fumbled at the button, couldn't get his pants off.

" _Fuck_ ," he snarled.

"Baby?"

" _Fuck off_ ," Lukas snapped. He kicked the wall, kicked it again. His foot sank into the cheap plaster.

Lukas stood, looking at the hole. Sank to the floor.

"Lukas?"

Lukas looked blankly at the door. "Not home right now. Leave a message after the beep."

"Hey, Lukas, just calling to make sure everything's okay. You came in here and yelled and kicked something. Just makin' sure we're okay. Call me back when you can."

Lukas stared at the door handle. Leaned forward, unlocked it.

Abel's smile was soft. He crouched down. "Hey, there. Glad you picked up the phone. Why don't you tell me about your day?"

Lukas blinked. Blinked again. "Have you ever had caviar?"

It took a second for the words to register for Abel. "Ew, gross, the fish eggs? No. What do you even eat them with? Cereal?"

Lukas couldn't get off the ground. "I used to eat caviar. Now, I fry French fries. I get paid nothing."

Abel looked at him, and Lukas couldn't read what he was thinking. After all, what could get think? Lukas, sitting on the ground, freaking out about working a fucking  _job_. Things boiled in Lukas, made him want to lash out.

Abel nodded. "I'm going to win us some money tonight. I know I can. I'm feeling lucky." He got down on his knees, took Lukas' hand, squeezed it. "Don't worry."

Lukas didn't squeeze back. "I'm going to see Berwald."

Abel's smile fell off his face. He scooted closer. "You don't have to do that. I'm going to get us some money."

Lukas closed his eyes. "You have tonight."

"Okay. Alright." A silence. "I beat almost all of  _Emprise de Lion_."

Lukas stood, undressed, fingers burning. "Mm."

Abel sat on the toilet and watched him. "Oh, yeah, I had to kill this giant and everything! I only ever fight giants when you're not around."

"They're not real."

"They  _are_  Lukas, they  _are_!"

Lukas showered.

 

* * *

 

 

Lukas stared at the ceiling. Stared at the water stain, the one that had spread across the plaster like a cancer. He didn't sleep. He had a shift tomorrow from eight to twelve—so he didn't have a fifteen-minute break.

His fingers tingled.

Abel was not back.

Lukas couldn't sleep.

He laid on his back. A spider made its way across the water stain. It stopped above Lukas' head.

Lukas snapped and grabbed a book, stood and easily reached the ceiling, slammed it against the spider, again and again. Lukas threw the book.

Laid back down. Looked at the water stain. Looked at the smudge of black. Lukas' stomach rolled.

The door opened. The sink turned on. The sink turned off.

The bedroom door opened, Abel stripped, curled into bed, tried to grab Lukas.

Lukas was stiff as a board. "How much?"

Abel sighed, breath warm against Lukas' neck. "I'm sorry." His voice was hoarse. Wet. Catching. "I'm so sorry. I lost everything. I'm so sorry. Please, don't."

Lukas closed his eyes. "I'm going to see him tomorrow."

Silence.

Abel stood, grabbed a pillow, walked into the living room.

Lukas kept his eyes closed.

 

* * *

 

His alarm went off. He sat up. He stripped and walked into the bathroom, did not stop to see if Abel was still there. He washed, tried to get the smell of sweat and grease out of his skin.

The cologne that costed more than Lukas made in a week of working now, smeared on his neck and up his arms to the elbow.

He found his nicest shirt, a pair of slacks, combed his hair how Berwald liked it. He looked at himself.

Abel was standing in the doorway. "I won't forgive you," he said, voice loud. "I swear to God, Lukas. You're not a whore," he snarled, eyes wide.

"Do you want to starve? Is that what you want? To lose this shitty fucking apartment?" Lukas slapped on aftershave for good measure. "I'm doing what I have to so we can be together."

"You're giving up!"

Lukas turned, then. "I am getting us money. Thing  _you_  keep betting away."

Abel's eyebrows drew together, stepped back, arms crossed. "What do you want from me?"

It made Lukas want to turn away. He didn't.

Abel's mouth twisted. "I'm not rich. You knew that."

Lukas stepped forward, looked Abel in the eye. "Move."

And Abel did.

 

* * *

 

The house looked the same—yard trimmed, car in the driveway, just enough clutter to show a person lived there. Berwald threw himself into his work around the house. A new set of rocking chairs, handmade.

Lukas rang the doorbell. He looked at his feet. Dress shoes were worn almost through the soles.

The door opened.

"Lukas."

Lukas knew he shouldn't have come. Berwald towered over him, face stony, jaw set, teeth clenched, shoulders thrown back. He looked at Lukas like he was an insect. A spider.

"Why you here?" Berwald said, voice very deep and very soft.

Lukas blinked. "We have no money."

Berwald's hands were balled into fists, knuckles white. "Two years, Lukas. You were sleeping with— _him_  for two  _years_." He spat the words from between his teeth.

"I—"

Berwald slammed his hand into the doorframe. "Don't you say anythin'!" Berwald looked away, shook his head. "Don't you say  _anythin_ '. Not how it works."

Lukas' fingers shook. "Please."

Berwald shook his head again, still wouldn't meet his eyes. "Are you even sorry?"

A car drove past.

Now, Berwald looked at him. Looked down at him. "Are you?"

Lukas kept his gaze steady.

The door slammed. Lukas closed his eyes, took a deep breath. Released it.

 

* * *

 

"Bondevik!"

Lukas stood facing the fryers.

"Bondevik, I'm talking to you." Gilbert grabbed Lukas' shoulder and spun him around. "Where do you get off coming in two hours—"

Lukas punched him. His knuckles cracked, and the first thing he wondered was how much that would cost to fix. They couldn't pay for it.

Gilbert picked himself off the ground and slapped Lukas,  _fast_. He was stunned, and then Gilbert was on top of him, punch, punch, punching.

" _Fucker_ ," Gilbert snarled. "You fucking blue blood mother  _fucker_!"

Gilbert hauled him off the ground and threw him over the counter. The customers were silent. Staring.

Lukas laid on the ground, cheek against the sticky ground, winded.

Gilbert vaulted himself neatly over the counter, dragged Lukas up, shoved him through the doors and threw him into the parking lot.

"You're lucky I don't fucking shove your face into that fucking fry oil." Gilbert looked down at him. Grinned at him. "Fuck off, Bondevik."

Lukas had to roll onto his other side—his right hand hurt too much to support his weight. He stood. Limped away.

 

* * *

 

Lukas sat in the dark. He had changed and washed his face. Knuckles throbbing. Face throbbing.

The ceiling. The water stain.

He picked himself up, grabbed the book, opened it. Read the whole thing.

Abel did not come home.

The alarm went off, and Lukas showered, put on his next best shirt, next best pants. He did not wear cologne.

People on the bus gave him looks. Lukas stared at his shoes.

 

* * *

 

The bar was still busy this time of day. It was in that part of town—where everyone smoked and wore wife-beaters. Lukas cradled his hand and kept his head down.

It took Lukas a second to adjust to the light. It was dim, filled with cigarette smoke, grime on every surface. Men grouped around beer—even this early—heads together.

And the back, a table that had once been green. And Abel was there, grin on his face, cigarette from his lips, cards in his hands. He always smiled. Lost more than he won. But he always smiled, and when he had a good hand, you were fucked.

Abel glanced up, his grin got wider. "Lukas, baby, I'm up…"

Lukas limped over.

"Abe, in or out?"

Abel reached out and touched Lukas' shoulder.

"Abel, in or out?"

"Give me what I won." Abel shoved the money in his pocket, one hand on the small of Lukas' back, leading him. "Alright, come on, come on, let's see what we have here. Made money, more than enough for everything—food, rent."

The bathroom smelled of dope. Abel locked the door, took Lukas' hand, examined it in the flickering florescence.

"I'm going to kill him," Abel said. "I'm going to break into his prissy house and I'm going to kill him." He ran a finger under Lukas' blackeye. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Lukas nodded. "It wasn't Berwald."

Abel hugged him.

Lukas let himself be held.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Anonymous said :** Would you consider writing a thing where Nor comes to his senses and runs away to be with Den? He ends up living a much poorer lifestyle than he was use to, but he's happy because he has love. (You can consider it a different au if you want, anything with Nor leaving Sve to be with Den would make me really happy ^^)


End file.
